Deep inside Antarctica lies a mystery. The forgotten pathway to the stars. Rejected scientist Alexander Hawke is down to his last chance. Brilliant but sheltered, every banker in New York has refused to finance his ideas. Enter the Russian—charming, dangerous, and offering an Antarctic expedition that promises answers to all of his questions. Now, Alexander stands at the edge of a bottomless chasm. With a helpful shove from his foreign benefactor, he plunges into adventure. Landing in darkness, Alexander finds a portal to destiny—weirder than New York, colder than Russia, and filled with the ruins of an empire that once spanned the galaxy. Armed with his wits, he’ll set forth on the journey of a lifetime, recruited by aliens for a civil war in which the good side is bad, the bad side is good, and somehow, Alexander ends up square in the middle. And his only way home is to save the world. Grab your copy now and join Alexander as he crosses the stars, makes a few friends, and learns that sometimes, the fall is just the beginning. The First Peacemaker is the first entry in a brand new series inside the Backyard Starship Universe.

After a fateful expedition to Antarctica, Alexander Hawkes finds himself catapulted across the stars into a galaxy in chaos. The Emperor is assassinated. And the Eternum Empire, already fading, has collapsed. But he has a starship now. And friends. Alongside a crew of unlikely allies—Ban Tarro, an honorable Barundi soldier; Diliseth, a genetically-engineered Nacendo handmaiden; and Four, a sentient AI—Alexander witnesses the brutal aftermath of imperial collapse on the planet Twilight. Driven by an innate sense of justice, Alexander proposes a radical the Galactic Knights, an independent peacekeeping force dedicated to protecting the vulnerable. But as Alexander builds a coalition—from the industrious Kynuvar to the wise Vinicul—powerful forces take notice. Chess pieces are moved. Military assets are up for grabs. But the hardest lessons are learned when the need is greatest. Those with the power to help, refuse. And those driven by greed aren't easily repelled. With everything at stake, Alexander leads a desperate defense that proves their mettle—and transforms the Knights from concept to reality. In a galaxy plunged into the darkness of Afterfall, Alexander's vision ignites a beacon of hope for a just and unified future.

The Charter is signed. The Galactic Knights Uniformed is born. And yet, Alexander faces a whole new success. With the galaxy drowning in the chaos of the Afterfall, the fledgling Galactic Knights Uniformed is stretched thin. Trade agreements need mediation. Border disputes require careful observation, while the greatest conflict looms above it all. The galaxy's major powers are pushing outward, expanding their dominions and trapping Alexander and his associates in the middle. Sacrifices will be made. Friendships challenged. Convictions will be tested. With a crucial peace summit approaching, Alexander stumbles onto a sinister plot. Now the only question remains is, can he defuse it before it's too late?